Various: Chicago Ain't Nothin' But A Blues Band

Early recordings, including many unissued sides, made by Eddy
Clearwater's uncle, Rev. H.H. Harrington who was running his own
recording studio and record company out of his church. Rare and wild
stuff.

With Eddy Clearwater, Sunnyland Slim, Morris Pejoe, Henry Gray, Jo Jo Williams,
Little Mack Simmons and others. An explosion of nuclear-powered Chicago
blues from 1958-'60 Atomic-H masters including many previously unissued
recordings! A full hour containing 23 songs, most of which are not on the
LP version.

Atomic-H Records was a tiny label that recorded blues and gospel
but only issued a few 45s. It was owned and operated by Rev. Houston H.
Harrington who was also Eddy Clearwater's uncle and was responsible for
Eddy making his way to Chicago from Alabama. The CD of Chicago Ain't
Nothin' But A Blues Band features new descriptive notes containing additional
information about Atomic-H and personnels.

ATOMIC-H RECORDS Let's Us Do The Recording So
stated the sign adorning the window of Rev. Houston H. Harrington's
church at 4314 W. 16th St on Chicago's West Side. The reverend issued
his share of gospel material during his long tenure as owner of
Atomic-H. but the label's fame resides in its blues activ-ities of the
late 1950s. Rev. Harrington. you see. was a gentleman of wide-ranging
musical interests. Born in Macon, Mississippi on March 3. 1924.
Harrington dabbled in home recording down south but never issued
anything on wax until well after he arrived in Chicago during the
mid-1940s. The first Atomic sin-gle (the H came later), cut in late 1953
in Harrington's basement studio at 1651 S. Trumbull and likely issued
sometime in '55. was credited to *lick & His Trio" (act-ually
Homesick James). Harrington made countless demos for aspiring artists
during the '50s: legend has it that Chuck Berry, Magic Sam (it's been
suggested that the previously unissued and unidentified "Why Did We Have
To Part?" on this album just may be Magic Sam), and the Staple Singers
all utilized his facilities. Around 1958. Harrington grew more serious
about his enterprise, releasing singles over the next few years by Jo Jo
Williams, Eddy Clearwater. Morris Pejoe, Mighty Joe Young. Johnny
Rogers. Tall Paul Hankins, and other Windy City blues artists on
Atomic-H. He also issued a few of his own sermons, sometimes billing
himself as "Rev. H.H. Harrington, God's Star:' The versatile
preach-er also played violin and dreamed up unusual inven-tions—he drew
up blueprints for a "Vertical Rising Jet Air Craft" and held a patent on
"The World's First Flying Submarine." Delmark compiled an anthology of
Atomic-H materi-al in 1972, but even if you own Chicago Ain't Nothin'
But a Blues Band in its vinyl incarnation, this digital ver sion boasts
more than its share of revelations—its pro-gramming has been changed and
expanded. Many tracks are previously unissued: others haven't seen
light of day since Harrington pressed up his standard run of 500 copies
on each single (ensuring instant collector's item status for all). Rev.
Harrington was a musical inspiration to his nephew Eddy even before the
lean and lanky teen moved to Chicago in 1950. He bought Eddy an acoustic
guitar when the youth was still living in Birmingham, Alabama. Billed
initially on the West Side as Guitar Eddy, the southpaw adopted a new
handle in 1957 when drummer Jump Jackson officially dubbed him Clear
Waters as a takeoff on Muddy's distinctive moniker. "My uncle was a big
encouragement," says Clear-water, long a Windy City blues mainstay. "He
was the cause of me coming to Chicago, as a matter of fact. He was here
already, and he had met people like Howlin' Wolf. Elmore James. Little
Walter. Little Mack Simmons. Muddy Waters. So he wrote me a letter
saying, 'If you come to Chicago. you'll get a chance to meet these
peo-ple, and you could possibly broaden your horizons: I said. 'Send
me a ticket!' So he did. Sent me a ticket on a Greyhound bus, and I was
on my way." Eddy's first two Atomic-H singles were credited to Clear
Waters. In '58 he entered Balkan Studios in suburban Berwyn to cut the
jumping "Boogie Woogie Baby" (Lazy Bill Lucas pounds out some storming
piano) and the rollicking Chuck Berry-tinged rocker "Hillbilly Blues."
His 1959 encore coupled the slashing West Side minor-key instrumental
-A-Minor Cha-Cha" with a bouncy "I Don't Know Why:' They're joined by
two unissued Clearwater outings: "Neck-bones Everyday" salutes a
downhome culinary delight, while the instrumental "Jumpin' At Charley's"
borrows a piece of the melody from "The Hucklebuck." Vocalist Johnny
Rogers, who cut the jumping "I Am A Lucky Lucky Man" in 1958 or '59, was
the brother of Clearwater's drummer, Richard Rogers (Atomic-H slightly
altered the spelling of Johnny's surname to Rodgers on the 45). "He
sounded a lot like Johnny Ace," says Clearwater. "He played the West
Side a lot. He used to sing with my band. That's before I really started
singing. I would play and he would sing, and his brother was playing
drums: Rogers, who had waxed a single for Ronel in 1955. ended up
joining the ministry and preaching on the West Side. Born in Coahoma,
Mississippi in 1920. Jo Jo Williams spent considerable time around
Memphis before relocat-ing to Chicago during the early '50s. The
guitarist hooked up with harpist Mojo Buford, guitarist David Members,
and drummer Cadillac Sam Burton to play South Side clubs. When Muddy
would hit the road, the eager aggre-gation held down his slot at
Smitty's Corner at 35th and Indiana. For the 1959 date that produced
Williams' Atomic-H debut. "All Pretty Women"/ "Rock 'n' Roll Boogie:
pianist Lazy Bill Lucas augmented the lineup: it was Mojo's first trip
to the studio. If Buford is aboard the pre-viously unreleased Bo
Diddley-beat instrumental "Davy Crockett's Jingle Bells" (PT. Hayes
replaced him for another Atomic-H Williams session), he no longer
recalls it. "You Can't Live In This Big World By Yourself" and "A
Woman's World: also unissued until now, are more traditional in scope,
boasting sturdy ensemble playing bolstered by either P.T. Hayes or Alex
"Easy Baby" Randle on harmonica. Mississippi sired the lion's share of
Chicago blues immortals. but guitarist Morris Pejoe and pianist Henry
Gray were Louisiana natives and frequent musical cohorts. Pejoe first
cut the raucous "Let's Get High" for Leonard Allen's United logo in
1954. but the company shelved it—leaving him free to recut it for
Atomic-H (where it met the same fate). Pejoe arrived in Chicago in 1951,
enjoying local success with his debut single for Checker. "Tired Of
Crying Over You," the next year. His 1960 single for Atomic-H ("She
Walked Right In"/"You Gone Away") was on the original vinyl version of
this set: both sides are now available on Wrapped In My Baby (Delmark
DD-716). Pejoe's rocker "Baby I'm Lonely" is a new discovery. while
Gray—a frequent Atomic-H visitor according to Clearwater—rips into a
driving "How Can You Do It?" with endearing vocal assurance. Venerable
piano patriarch Sunnyland Slim recorded for virtually every blues label
in Chicago during the post-war era, Atomic-H being no exception. With
dazzling guitarist Matt Murphy. saxist J.T. Brown. and drummer S.P.
Leary in tow. the towering 88s ace romped through "Every-thing's Gonna
Be Alright" and got serious for "Recession Blues" in 1960. but
Harrington never got around to releasing them. Aberdeen. Mississippi was
originally home to Harmonica George Robinson (he was born there June
12. 1934).

Arriving in Chicago in 1952, Robinson gigged around
the West and South Sides during the second half of the decade, notably
at Sylvio's and the Happy Home. His only Atomic-H session commenced in
the summer of '59. when the harpist strolled into Balkan to lay down a
mournful "Sad And Blue" and the soaring "Sputnik Music" (Clearwater and
Willie Johnson shared guitar duties). They went unissued at the time,
and George had to wait a full decade before Toddlin' Town released his
debut 45. the sizzling soul workout "Get Some Order (About Yourself)."
Harpist Little Mack Simmons was another familiar presence at Atomic-H
headquarters: he leads the instrumental "Blues For Atomic-H" on this
anthology.

Thanks to Jim O'Neal, we now know that George &
His House Rockers were led by George Corner (or Conner), who also
answered to the handle of Birming-ham George and now resides in Alabama.
His "Morning Love Blues" was issued on Atomic-H in 1972. a good decade
or more after he cut it. His two cuts derive from different dates. "You
Know You Don't Love Me" having been done in a more professional studio
setting than the demo-quality "Morning Love Blues." Eddy

Songs

Various - Chicago Ain't Nothin' But A Blues Band Medium 1

1:

Recession Blues

SUNNYLAND SLIM

2:

Everything's Gonna Be All Right

SUNNYLAND SLIM

3:

I Don't Know Why

CLEARWATER, Eddy

4:

A-Minor Cha Cha

CLEARWATER, Eddy

5:

Boogie Woogie Baby

CLEARWATER, Eddy

6:

Hillbilly Blues

CLEARWATER, Eddy

7:

Jumpin' At Charlie's

CLEARWATER, Eddy

8:

Neckbones Everyday

CLEARWATER, Eddy

9:

Let's Get High

PEJOE, Morris

10:

Baby I'm Lonely

PEJOE, Morris

11:

How Can You Do It

GRAY, Henry

12:

All Pretty Woman

WILLIAMS, Jo Jo

13:

Rock'n'Roll Boogie

WILLIAMS, Jo Jo

14:

Woman's World

WILLIAMS, Jo Jo

15:

Davy Crockett's Jingle Bells

WILLIAMS, Jo Jo

16:

You Can't Live In This Big World By Yourself

WILLIAMS, Jo Jo

17:

I'm A Lucky Lucky Man

ROGERS, Johnny

18:

Blues For Atomic-H

SIMMONS, Little Mack

19:

You Know You Don't Love Me

GEORGE & HIS HOUSEROCKERS

20:

Morning Love Blues

GEORGE & HIS HOUSEROCKERS

21:

Sad And Blue

HARMONICA GEORGE

22:

Sputnik Music

HARMONICA GEORGE

23:

Why Did We Have To Part

UNKNOWN

Artikeleigenschaften von Various: Chicago Ain't Nothin' But A Blues Band

Interpret: Various

Albumtitel: Chicago Ain't Nothin' But A Blues Band

Format
CD

Genre
Blues

Music Genre
Blues

Music Style
Classic Chicago Blues

Music Sub-Genre
911 Classic Chicago Blues

Title
Chicago Ain't Nothin' But A Blues Band

Label
DELMARK

Price code
VCD3

SubGenre
Blues - Electric

EAN: 0038153062422

weight in Kg 0.107

Artist description "Various"

Various Artists

Different artists/interpreters on a CD, Vinyl LP, 7ich Singe...Either as a theme compilation or as Greates Hits, Best of..., Singles Collections etc.